Buzz's Earnings at MU Peaked in 2010

[NersEllenson]

I'll sum up your thoughts. Buzz used the same approach in all six of his years at Marquette. In the first five years, which produced 5 NCAA tournament appearances, two Sweet 16s, an Elite 8, back to back 14-4 Big East Conference records and a regular season Big East championship, this approach made you think he hung the moon - great coach, great guy, great character. In years six, when the players weren't quite as good (that WAS his fault) and the close wins often became close losses, this EXACT SAME approach led you to do a 180 - now he's a bad coach, bad guy with bad character. Time for some soul searching, Ners. Don't be that guy.

I'd also say you could do some soul searching and admit that he was quite flawed last year.  If his character were truly good - he wouldn't have bolted at the first time of adversity.  Going gets tough...the tough get going...they don't bail.  

I'm not a fair weather fan, and have no problem with a coach having a bad year...and see it as no reason to do a 180 on the bad year alone....but....when the coach stubbornly refused to make the 2 EVIDENT changes necessary for the entire year..while the losses racked up...note the difference between last season and his first 5...the losses weren't racking up...other than the midget year...where he virtually had NO other options as to whom he could have played...but refusing to radically change his backcourt...when it was totally and completely clear that it was overmatched all season...that to me is where it became unforgivable/egregious.  What made it unforgivable...is that he not only did he REFUSE to do it...but instead played Derrick and Jake MORE minutes than any other two players on the team...

And to Keefe's point - there were going to be numerous transfers if he remained here as coach...he lost his team.  The Senior Day speeches said it all.....other than Otule...Jamil, Davante...neither one of them thanked Buzz....thanked everyone else..academic advisors, trainers, believe even assistant coaches mentioned....yet not Buzz.  He lost Jamil and Davante as well last year...as they knew their senior season could have and should have been so much better...

[Wojo'sMojo]

If Buzz knew going in that it was his last year, why the (what would have been if it had all stayed together) great recruiting class?    Why NN?   Why Flory?   He did what had worked in the past.   It didn't work this time. 

So you think he planned on staying past this year? It was the all mighty lure of the prestigious Va Tech coaching job that he just couldn't turn down? He knew he was outta here before the year started I believe. Is it possible that he secured last years class before he decided he wanted to leave? I think Burton and Duane were likely to come here even if Buzz wasn't gonna be around...don't think he had to sell them too hard. McKay was a MKE kid who seemed excited to return home. Dawson was kind of a sleeper type recruit and I think Chew was mainly responsible for landing JJJ. I think these guys all could have been on board before Buzz checked out. He kept recruiting because he possibly hoped he could bully people around like he had previously, this time it just didn't work out.

[Nukem2]

So you think he planned on staying past this year? It was the all mighty lure of the prestigious Va Tech coaching job that he just couldn't turn down? He knew he was outta here before the year started I believe. Is it possible that he secured last years class before he decided he wanted to leave? I think Burton and Duane were likely to come here even if Buzz wasn't gonna be around...don't think he had to sell them too hard. McKay was a MKE kid who seemed excited to return home. Dawson was kind of a sleeper type recruit and I think Chew was mainly responsible for landing JJJ. I think these guys all could have been on board before Buzz checked out. He kept recruiting because he possibly hoped he could bully people around like he had previously, this time it just didn't work out.

Duane and Deonte did a lot of the heavy lifting to get JJJ.  They worked JJJ pretty hard.  They were buds from AAU ball.

[bilsu]

I do not think Buzz gave up on the season. We fought to the end losing our last two conference games in overtime. However, I do think Buzz lost a significant portion of the team. Perhaps the reason why he always started Thomas and Derrick is that they were the only players he did not lose. I also think Buzz was heading towards a mental breakdown and leaving for Virgina Tech will delay this breakdown maybe three years.

[willie warrior]

I wouldn't say that leaving was entirely Bert's idea...

Exactly. He was told where the door was and not to let it hit his keester as he exited.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Misplaced confidence can be a terrible thing. There is a lot more to this story than meets the eye.

Absolutely true. But I have yet to see anyone on scoop who has posted true information about it. cbb keeps hinting that he knows something. He may know it,not sure.

There is more to the story. Buzz tanking the season is not it.

[tower912]

However, I do think Buzz lost a significant portion of the team.

He said as much at the media day in October, when he announced the lack of leadership on the team.   

[Wojo'sMojo]

He said as much at the media day in October, when he announced the lack of leadership on the team.   

He got paid nearly 3 million a year to be the leader of the team. If nobody on the team stepped up, then he needed to step up even more. He knows what type of personalities these kids have when he recruits them.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

So you think he planned on staying past this year? It was the all mighty lure of the prestigious Va Tech coaching job that he just couldn't turn down? He knew he was outta here before the year started I believe. Is it possible that he secured last years class before he decided he wanted to leave? I think Burton and Duane were likely to come here even if Buzz wasn't gonna be around...don't think he had to sell them too hard. McKay was a MKE kid who seemed excited to return home. Dawson was kind of a sleeper type recruit and I think Chew was mainly responsible for landing JJJ. I think these guys all could have been on board before Buzz checked out. He kept recruiting because he possibly hoped he could bully people around like he had previously, this time it just didn't work out.

I can guarantee that Buzz didn't know he was leaving until after senior night.

[real chili 83]

I can guarantee that Buzz didn't know he was leaving until after senior night.

What was significant about Senior night?

[GGGG]

Absolutely true. But I have yet to see anyone on scoop who has posted true information about it. cbb keeps hinting that he knows something. He may know it,not sure.

There is more to the story. Buzz tanking the season is not it.

I don't think Buzz was pushed out.  I don't think Buzz tanked the season.

I *do* think that the administration grew tired of him and wasn't going to bend over backward to make him happy.  (Even Wild and Cords)  He's a high maintenance guy, and sometimes those types just aren't worth the effort no matter how successful they may be.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

 

I don't think Buzz was pushed out.  I don't think Buzz tanked the season.

I *do* think that the administration grew tired of him and wasn't going to bend over backward to make him happy.  (Even Wild and Cords)  He's a high maintenance guy, and sometimes those types just aren't worth the effort no matter how successful they may be.

Depends on your donation of pushed out but you are mostly correct

[bamamarquettefan]

No doubt. Kevin Ollie wins a national championship and his contract is short of 3 million. My goodness, Buzz didn't even make a final four.

UConn is winning a national title every few years.

Marquette had made 2,sweet 16s in 3,decades before buzz and he made 3,in 3,years. He was paid fairly based on what he did with a program that was in serious trouble when crean left.

[wadesworld]

UConn is winning a national title every few years.

Marquette had made 2,sweet 16s in 3,decades before buzz and he made 3,in 3,years. He was paid fairly based on what he did with a program that was in serious trouble when crean left.

How was MU "in serious trouble" as a program when Crean left? We were in the Big East, which was the best conference in the history of college basketball. We had the Al McGuire Center, which was as nice of a practice facility as you will find. We had the 3 Amigos going into their senior season (in fact, while Dominic James's broken foot may have factored into the results, I'd say the 2nd round loss that we had that year would've been the absolute minimum we should've done in the NCAA Tournament that year. That team had FF potential until the injury). We had a giant budget to work with. We could've definitely gotten a "bigger name" than Brent Williams to run our program, but thankfully Brent worked out well for us and was the right guy to take over.

I'd definitely say we as a program are in much more trouble following Bert's departure than we were following Crean's. We are in the New Big East, which is nowhere near what the Old Big East was. We still have the Al which is still a big positive. We send our players into a crappy form for 2 years. We didn't have a president or an AD when we were going through the coaching search. We're coming off of a 19-17 season in which we entirely missed the post season and we lost our 2 leading scorers to graduation. We still have a giant budget to use. But there is definitely much more uncertainty this time around than there was with Bert coming in, as both coaches are more or less just assistants taking their first real head coaching job.

[NotBuzzWilliams]

If you don't know why something is working when it's working, you won't know how to fix it when it breaks.  Pay attention to everything

[keefe]

He was paid fairly based on what he did with a program that was in serious trouble when crean left.

Really? If we were in serious trouble when the Bronzed Beast departed I am curious how you would characterize the program today. Bert inherited a gold mine but is leaving the program in worse shape than what he found. So if he took over a program in serious trouble then Wojo must be taking responsibility for a disaster.

[keefe]

Depends on your donation of pushed out but you are mostly correct

Your Freudian Slip is showing. One should always be cognizant of which cow gives you the milk. Bert pissed off old Bessie and realized too late those teats were drying up.

By the way, do women even wear slips anymore?

[4everwarriors]

Nah, most of 'em don't even wear underwear.

[keefe]

Nah, most of 'em don't even wear underwear.

Mr. Darwin

[Lennys Tap]

Really? If we were in serious trouble when the Bronzed Beast departed I am curious how you would characterize the program today. Bert inherited a gold mine but is leaving the program in worse shape than what he found. So if he took over a program in serious trouble then Wojo must be taking responsibility for a disaster.

Buzz inherited great seniors, one very good junior and no underclassmen.

Wojo inherits not so great seniors, one questionable junior and 5 top 100 underclassmen (plus Magic Dawson).

Short term, advantage Buzz. Medium term, advantage Wojo.

No Humphrey for freshmen and sophomores and lesser conference affiliation make it tougher for Wojo. Playing a less challenging  schedule will make it easier.

[The Equalizer]

Buzz inherited great seniors, one very good junior and no underclassmen.

Couple of errors:

1.  Buzz inherited six underclassmen.  He ran three off (Christopherson, Mbakwe and Hazel). He had three incoming recruits that still made it to campus (Fulce, Otule and Erik Williams). 

2.Not sure where you get your "one very good junior" comment--we had two--Acker and Cubillan. Plus you're leaving out an absolute stud in Hayward.

[Lennys Tap]

Couple of errors:

1.  Buzz inherited six underclassmen.  He ran three off (Christopherson, Mbakwe and Hazel). He had three incoming recruits that still made it to campus (Fulce, Otule and Erik Williams). 

2.Not sure where you get your "one very good junior" comment--we had two--Acker and Cubillan. Plus you're leaving out an absolute stud in Hayward.

Several errors:

1.Mbakwe was gone if Crean stayed. Briefly reconsidered due to Crean's departure. Was not run off.
2.Hazel (Crean recruit) was caught stealing. Buzz benched him and he left before the door hit him in the ass.
3.The one very good junior was Hayward. Acker and Cubillan were juniors but not very good.

[NotBuzzWilliams]

If your habits don't line up with your dreams, then you need to either change your habits or change your dreams.

[The Equalizer]

1.Mbakwe was gone if Crean stayed. Briefly reconsidered due to Crean's departure. Was not run off.

Nope.

That was a rumor that Mbakwe himself denied. April 16th, 2008:
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/31869619.html
"I've been reading the papers and they're saying all this stuff about me transferring for family reasons before Coach (Tom Crean) even left," he said. "I just want to let everyone know that isn't true.

"It was news to me. It was a shock. I didn't know where it was coming from, and that's never been an idea in my head."

You stand corrected.

2.Hazel (Crean recruit) was caught stealing. Buzz benched him and he left before the door hit him in the ass.

In other words, Buzz inhereted him.  Then Buzz played him for the better part of a year.  Then Buzz benched him (reason irrelevant). 

What part of "played him for the better part of a year" confuses you?

You stand corrected.  Again.

3.The one very good junior was Hayward. Acker and Cubillan were juniors but not very good.

So you're going to stick with trashing our players again to carry water for Buzz Williams? 

And keep the mock outrage to yourself, this time.

If you're not willing to admit Hayward was a stud or you want to maintain the pretense that Acker and Cubillan were "not very good" their senior seasons, then you're simply trashing them to sandbag for Buzz. 

[g0lden3agle]

Equalizer and Lenny,

Let's just all agree you're both wrong in various parts of your previous posts and move on. 

Buzz inherited underclassmen. 

The use of the phrase "running them off" to describe transfers after the head coach leaves is beyond egregious.

Neither of these things are that big of a deal to be worrying about.